Geographical area: ​

Upper Galilee

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Background:

The Alma Cave is the longest cave in the Galilee and offers travelers a truly unique experience. It is situated on the geological fault line between Ramat Dalton and Ramat Alma, on a tributary of Nahal Hatzor and was formed by karst weathering and cracking of the bedrock. Water that collects in the Ramat Alma Valley trickled through the basaltic soil to the limestone below, dissolved the rock and formed a "sinkhole" which became a massive cavity, resulting in the phenomenal cave we see today.

The entire trail involves two or more hours of spelunking, consisting mainly of alternating climbing and crawling. It is classified as an advanced trail, and is not suitable for people with claustrophobia or a fear of heights.

The cavern that leads to the cave can be accessed in two ways:
· Descend on foot on the marked trail
· Rappel with ropes down the cavern rockface

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Type of trip:

Moderate difficulty level; circular trail

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Duration:

Max. 2-3 hours (excluding rappelling)

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Trail Outline:

Rendezvous: 8:30am at cavern opening

Before beginning our descent into the bowels of the Earth, we’ll have breakfast

and rappelling instruction.

We’ll enter the cave by rappelling down a 25-meter drop through a shaft measuring 60m in diameter until we reach the floor of the cavern, where we’ll gather before we descend into the cave itself.

We’ll then continue a cautious descent on foot for about 80 meters towards the bottom of the cavern. Near the bottom, there’s a small opening that appears as if it leads to nowhere. We’ll descend through the narrow opening for a vertical drop of approximately 5 meters, which marks the beginning of the trail. The trail is marked with small reflector panels affixed to the rock: white reflectors mark the trail path and red reflectors mark the way to the exit.
We might occasionally hear movement of bats in the cave, but in most cases bats avoid humans and our chances of seeing them are low. The trail is not long but involves almost non-stop climbing and crawling. Parts of the trail that are extremely narrow require us to crawl on our stomach.

 If you like the sound of that, you’re guaranteed to have a ball.

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Personal Equipment: 

3 liters of water per person (preferably in insulated Jerri cans), medium backpack (at least 30 liter capacity for personal items, food and rappelling equipment handed out at the beginning of the trail), walking shoes (closed shoes only), hat, light clothing suitable for cave crawling including long hiking pants (will get dirty) and long-sleeve shirt (for cool temperatures in cave), mandatory flashlight (preferably head-mounted), extra batteries, thin gloves (can be purchased at local hardware store), food and snacks, mosquito repellent, sunscreen, rubber band for long hair, change of clothes (will be left in the car for after the trail), sunglasses)

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Recommended: Camera, light snacks such as sour/sweet candy, dates, raisins, almonds.

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We provide:

Qualified rappelling instructors, all necessary rappelling equipment, first aid kit, coffee & tea kit, snacks

The trip includes insurance, as required by law.

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Cost per Participant:

Determined by size of group

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Please Note:

For conservation of the bat population, the cave is closed during the winter months from November 1 to April 1.